Testes-treating apparatus



Aug. 30, 1927. 1,640,479

' v DE FOREST B. CATLIN TESTES TREATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 11, 1926 Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

Ala

PATENT OFFICE.

DE FOREST B. CATLIN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TESTES-TREATING APPARATUS.

Application filed August 11, 1926. Serial No. 128,612

The invention relates to I apparatus for treating the testes by diathermy, heating current beingtransmitted from one surface portion to the opposite surface portion of the testes through the interposed tissues, and causing curative heat which is localized between the surface portions.

The object of the invention is to provide improvements in the form of the electrodes and in the means for siiipporting or mounting the same, the nature of the improvements being such that the electrodes may be conveniently located and maintained in their operative positions and connected with a suitable generating machine, and may conform automatically to an increase in the diameter of the testes during treatment, without exerting uncomfortable pressure on the expanding testes.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification Figure 1 is a side elevation of anapparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same, a. portion being shown in section on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a View similar to portions of Figure 1, showing a different embodiment.

Figure t is a top plan view of a portion of the embodiment shown by Figure 3, and a section on line 4 4 of Figure 3.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, 12 designates a standard of insulating material, such as bakelite, adapted, as by a base 13 fixed to its lower end, to be supported by a surface 14, which may be the surface of a bed on which a patient lies, the standard being perpendicular to the supporting surface.

15 designates a lower heat conducting arm engaged with the standard and provided with a binding-post 15 engaging a conductor 17 of heating current. The arm 15 is maintained by the standard and its base substan-v tially parallel with and suitably elevated above the supporting surface 14. 18 designates a dished lower electrode, fixed to the outer end of the arm 15, and adapted to be located under, and support the testes of a recumbent patient. standard above the lowerarm, is an upper heat-conducting arm, composed of an inner section 19. having a binding-post 19 engaging conductor 1 an outer section 20, and so citing the sections. Fixed to Engaged with the the outer section 20 is a dished upper electrode 22, adapted to bear on the testes supported by the lower electrode 18. The hinge is constructed and arranged to permit a swinging movementof the upper electrode toward and from the lower electrode, so that the upper electrode may yield upwardly and be caused to rise by an expansion or swelling of the testes, caused by the treatment, the yielding o the upper electrode being so free, that there is no objectionable increase of pressure on the testes. The preferred con struction of the hinge is shown by Figures 1 and 2, the hinge including a pintle member 24-, on the inner arm section 19, and a cup-shaped socket member 25, on theouter arm section 20. The pintle member is fixed rigidly to the inner arm section, and the outer arm section is slidable in the socket member 25, and provided with a head 26,

which is pressed by a spring 27 (Figure 2) against the pintle 24. The yielding contact the head 26 with the pintle 24; is sufficient to yieldingly maintain the arm section 20 and the upper electrode in any position to which they may be adjusted, and to permit the upper electrode to be raised by the expansion of the testes, without exerting uncomfortable pressure on the latter. A confining nut 28 may be engaged with a threaded portion of the pintle, to prevent removal of the socket member 25 from the pintle. A different form of hinge is shown by Fig ures 3 and 4t, including an ear 30 (Figure 4-) fixed to the arm section 19, an ear 31 fixed to the arm section 20, and provided with a pintle member 32, extending through an orifice in the ear 30. The pintle member has a threaded portion engaging a confining nut 33. Said nut may be adjusted to enable the hinge to function as'described, in connection with the hinge shown by Figures 1 and 2, the upper electrode being adapted to yield to an expansion of the testes, without exerting uncomfortable pressure thereon.

Each heat-conducting arm is adjustably and removably engaged with the standard 12, so that the arms may be variably located and spaced apart on the standard, and may be conveniently applied and removed. To this end, I provide each arm with a springpressed clamp adapted to automatically engage the standard, and provided with handles whereby it may be expanded and disengaged from the standard, two forms of clamp being shown. the form shown by Figures 1 and 2, the clamp includes a jaw 35, fixed to a conducting arm, and a jaw 36, pivoted at 37 to thejaw, 35, the jaws being formed to embrace the standard 12, as shown by Figure 2. The jaw 35 is provided with a handle 35, and the jaw 36 with a handle 36. Aspring 38 is interposed between the handles, and normally closes the jaws on the standard, the arrangement being such that pressure of a thumb and finger on the handles opens the jaws. The form of clamp shown by Figures 3 and 1 includesa jaw 39, fixed to a conducting arm, and bearing on one side of the standard, a jaw hearing on the opposite side of the standard, and curved springs 11, connecting the jaws and normally closing them on the standard. The jaw 39 has a handle 39*, and the jaw 40 a handle 10 the arrangement being such that pressure of a thumb and finger on the handles opens the jaws.

I claim:

1. Testes-treating apparatus comprising a supporting standard, a lower heat-conducting arm engaged with the standard, and having a bindingpost, a dished testes-supporting lower electrode, fixed to one end o'i said arm, the standard being adapted to maintain the arm in a substantially hori- Zontal position with the electrode under the testes, an upper heat-coi'iducting arm composed 0i an inner section engaged with the standard and having a binding-post, and an outer section, a hinge connecting the sections, and a dished upper electrode, fixed to the outer section and adapted to bear on testes supported by the lower electrode, the hinge being arranged to permit a swinging movement of the upper electrode from the lower electrode, to compensate for an increase in the diameter of the testes, the ieat-conducting arms being insulated from each other.

2. Testes-treating apparatus as specified increase in the diameter of the testes under treatment.

4. Testes-treating apparatus as specified by claim 1, the standard being of insulating material, and the heat-conducting arms spaced apart thereon.

5. Testes-treating apparatus as specified by claim 1, each heat-conducting arm having a spring-pressed clamp adapted to automatically engage the standard, and provided with handles whereby it may be expanded and disengaged from the standard for adj ustment thereon, and for application and removal. 7

In testimony whereof I have {LffiXGCl' my signature.

DE FOREST B. CATLIN. 

